The lesson isn’t locked in 1940s Germany. It’s alive here and now. Authoritarianism doesn’t need a dictator’s fist first — it needs neighbors willing to say nothing, coworkers willing to go along, churches willing to bless the flag more than the cross.

Dear Neighbor,

Evil rarely arrives wearing horns or the spinning heads of possessed people tied to beds with a frightened priest clinching their cross.

It comes dressed in uniforms, flags, military parades and grandiose promises.

When asked why they accepted Hitler, ordinary Germans said: “We were following orders. We were afraid. We believed the lies. We didn’t know.” But beneath all the excuses was this: they accepted because it benefited them. Jobs returned, pride was restored, someone else was blamed.

That’s how evil works — it offers comfort to some while crushing others. It thrives on obedience, fear, and silence. It survives because people choose to look away, to compartmentalize, to say “that’s not my problem.”

The lesson isn’t locked in 1940s Germany. It’s alive here and now. Authoritarianism doesn’t need a dictator’s fist first — it needs neighbors willing to say nothing, coworkers willing to go along, churches willing to bless the flag more than the cross.

If you ever wonder how a people can accept evil — look closely. It starts small, with ordinary compromises, until the unthinkable becomes normalized.

Stay awake friends. 

Stay watchful. 

Refuse to look away.

Pray, rest, celebrate, break bread, meditate, think deeply, ready broadly, organize with fellow travelers. 

Maranantha.

“Dear Neighbor” authors are united in a belief that civility and passion can coexist. We believe curiosity and conversation make us a better community.